Latin American Studies Center Launches Activities with Three Distinguished Lectures

Minnesota – August 2025

Under the patronage of Dr. Omar Ahmed Al-Maqrami, Vice President of the Islamic University of Minnesota and Head of the Main Center, the Latin American Studies Center at the College of Arts and Humanities inaugurated its cultural, literary, and philosophical activities with three distinguished lectures, supervised by the Center’s Director, Dr. Ali El-Shboul, and Deputy Director, Dr. Noor Saad.

The lectures included:

• "Heritage Window: Sesame Presses… Authenticity Challenging Modernity” by Dr. Sarah Al-Shamas, highlighting the cultural and economic value of Palestinian heritage.
• "Tales of Absence… When Absence Becomes the Hero” by writer Amal Al-Khawaja, exploring how absence transforms into a profound human presence.
• "The Epistle of Hayy ibn Yaqzan: The Journey of Knowledge and Its Representation in Andalusian Narrative” by Dr. Noor Bani Atta, offering a critical reading that linked philosophy and literature through Ibn Tufail’s work.

The university emphasized that these events mark a significant beginning for the Center’s activities, aiming to foster cultural dialogue and enrich the academic scene.